Army Scores Direct Hits on IS Posts in Ras Baalbek

The Lebanese Army shelled with heavy artillery the posts of the Islamic State militant group on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek scoring direct hits, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Using rocket launchers the army bombarded the area of Khirbet Daoud, NNA said.

The army has been targeting the positions of IS militants as it gears-up for a long-awaited assault to dislodge hundreds of militants from a remote corner near Syrian border.

The country is seeking to end a years-long threat posed to neighboring towns and villages by the extremists.

The planned operation follows a six-day military offensive by Hizbullah that forced al-Qaida-linked fighters to flee the area on the outskirts of the town of Arsal, along with thousands of civilians.